The galleon. Sixteenth - Seventeenth centuries

At times of conflict Basque merchant vessels were requisitioned
by the crown and adapted for use in war.
Around the middle of the sixteenth century a type of ship
began to emerge, designed specifically for warfare.
Privateers and pirates posed a serious threat to the interests
of the Spanish Crown.
The galleon, a gigantic floating strongbox specifically devised
to protect gold and silver, was born out of this attempt
to preserve Spain’s monopoly on the Indies Run.
Armed with large numbers of guns, it was sturdy enough to
resist the impact of artillery fire and was longer than the
traditional nao to give it greater speed.
The galleon arose out of the concept of armed trade and for
the first time Basque shipbuilders were required by royal
ordinance to construct vessels to specific new proportions.